You won’t want to miss Priya’s forthcoming memoir;
Chasing Nirvana:
A SEEKER’S STORY OF LOVE, LOSS AND LIBERATION
Pre-orders now available!
Chasing Nirvana is a gripping tale of spiritual entrapment and personal awakening. Growing up under the sway of a Brooklyn housewife turned guru, Priya Hutner is drawn into a world shaped by bizarre rituals, spiritual promises, and oppressive beliefs. What begins as a quest for enlightenment unravels into a stifling reality as the boundaries between spiritual devotion and control blur. As she becomes an integral part of the ashram community, sharing the guru's teachings, she becomes further entangled in a web of spiritual control and manipulation.
Through this deeply personal journey, Priya shares her struggle to break free from the guru and the cult-like grip on her life. Her traumatic escape from the community marks a profound turning point as she regains personal power, rediscovers herself, and achieves true liberation in the process.
A spiritual adventure story and a cautionary tale, Chasing Nirvana is a story of love, heartbreak, and redemption, offering a powerful reflection on the perils of blind faith and the beauty of reclaiming one's life on her own terms. Her story is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for resilience, self-discovery, and freedom from the bondage of belief.
Published by She Writes Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster | On shelves March 3, 2026.
ENDORSEMENTS FOR CHASING NIRVANA
"With crisp, unwavering candor, Hutner charts the fine line between devotion and coercion [...] By the taut, thriller-like ending, Hutner reveals the steep cost of surrendering one's agency and the fierce resolve to reclaim it outside the confines of blind faith, culminating in a hard-won liberation."
—BookLife, Publishers Weekly
“Priya is one of the most courageous people I know—the journey of a real seeker isn’t for the faint of heart. As Priya makes clear in her story, you have to have courage to go beyond the mundane comfort of the familiar, on a road that leads to places you’ve never been. She went there her way, and that’s what makes her journey an inspiration to others.”
—Arlo Guthrie, musician and American singer-songwriter
“In this unflinching account of growing up in a religious community dominated by a complicated leader, Priya Hutner deftly dances between her genuine love for her guru and a lucid portrayal of the dangers and dysfunctions of giving one’s power away to a charismatic and unstable teacher who demands blind loyalty.”
—Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair and Ordinary Mysticism
“Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana is raw, courageous, and profoundly relatable for anyone who’s ever lost themselves in the promise of enlightenment. Her story shines a light on the seductive power of charismatic leaders and the universal longing to belong.”
—Sarah Edmonson, author of Scarred and cohost of the A Little Bit Culty podcast
“What a book! It grabbed me from the first few pages and I couldn’t put it down. Priya Hutner’s Chasing Nirvana is a rare window into life inside a chaotic, cult-like spiritual community told with compassion, love, and honesty. What a long, strange, beautiful, crazy, and redemptive trip it’s been for Priya and how blessed we are that she is sharing it with us. Highly recommended.”
—Bill O’Hanlon, Oprah-featured author of Do One Thing Different, Love Is a Verb, and Solution-Oriented Spirituality
“Bold and beautifully told, Chasing Nirvana beckons us inside an incense-filled ashram, to sit at the feet of “Ma”—a diet-obsessed guru in red plaid flannel shorts and gold bangles who is both evangelical pastor and charismatic MLM leader. After decades of sacrifice and secrets, Priya Hutner’s memoir tells tough truths about the ritual de lo habitual of life in a cult. Realizing Ma’s insatiable appetite for devotion is starving those around her of their own happiness, Priya finally chooses herself and chases her own Nirvana.”
—Bridey Thelen-Heidel, author of Bright Eyes-A Memoir
“Priya Hutner reveals a depth of introspection rarely shared. In doing so, she eloquently presents a spiritual architecture for interdependence and reciprocation with the world.”
—Obi Kaufmann, author of the California Field Atlas
“Chasing Nirvana is an intriguing, thought-provoking memoir. With brilliant chapter headings drawn from song lyrics, a hint at what’s to come, aligning with each stage of her journey. Hutner delivers engaged, thought-provoking writing and reveals how easily we can be swayed and how we can gain the strength to break free.”
—Eve Quesnel, author of Snow Fleas and Chickadees
“A brave and bold true tale of living in, loving, and surviving a cult.”
—Anette Nilsson, author of Soul-Happy: A Viking Woman's Long Road Home
“Raw, honest, and deeply captivating, Chasing Nirvana is a must-read for anyone drawn to spirituality, self-discovery, and the resilience it takes to reclaim your life. I found myself rooting for her the whole way.’
—Kristen Tremonti, author of Maybe a Note Would Help: Transforming Your Life with a Few Kind Words.
“Brave, honest, and utterly compelling memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in cult-like communities, self-discovery, spirituality, and transcending challenging life experiences.”
—Dr. Julie Savitch, author of My Other Kids: A Memoir of Child Advocacy and the Power of Showing Up